ESPN: Michigan football OLB Jaishawn Barham gaining NFL draft buzz
With the NFL scouting combine set to kick off, the Michigan football contingent who have made their way to Indianapolis to show out for scouts, general managers, and coaches, will have their opportunities to impress and make their way up draft boards.
One notable player, edge rusher Derrick Moore, has been hampered by a hamstring injury and won’t be at full strength and able to participate in running drills. But there’s another name that is starting to gain some steam.
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According to ESPN’s Field Yates, there has been some notable buzz for outside linebacker Jaishawn Barham, who spent all of 2024 more so lined up in the middle before primarily becoming an edge rusher in 2025. The thought is that his ability and versatility should be showcased this week at Lucas Oil Stadium, and it could cause him to be chosen by an NFL franchise sooner rather than later.
Michigan edge rusher Jaishawn Barham is picking up steam in the scouting community, which I don’t expect to slow down anytime soon. He began his college career at Maryland and was a stand-up linebacker for much of his college career, but at 6-foot-3 and 243 pounds, he played a hefty dose of edge snaps in 2025 and showed unique explosiveness. He’s a Day 2 prospect now who will only create further intrigue with a big week.
That explosiveness is likely to be tantalizing for NFL types, as well as the ability to move him inside or outside. It’s no surprise that he played a bit of a hybrid role in Ann Arbor, considering that his defensive coordinator, Wink Martindale, was a longtime NFL mainstay and was considered to be among the best at his craft just a few short years ago.
Barham finished his 2025 campaign with 32 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four sacks, three passes broken up, five quarterback hurries, and one fumble forced. He appeared in 12 games, having not played in the bowl game, but also having missed the second half of Week 1 and the first half of Week 2 due to a controversial targeting call.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan’s Jaishawn Barham gaining NFL draft buzz, says ESPn